More than me that had your main focus to get your multichannel SACDs to sound as good as possible when you built your stereo with the thought:
“If I get my multichannel SACDs to sound as good as possible I will automatically get “Good enough” movie-sound as a bonus and the plain 2-channel stereo sound should bee great also, automatically, since in a way, multichannel SACDs depends very much on the 2 main speakers.”
When considering choices as to what to assemble either ht or 2 channel,
I opted for 2 channel. the multi channel systems are far more expensive
and processors for these become obsolete all too soon.
Witness the av receiver market they come they go…and heaven help
if they should need repair…
With 2 channel far fewer up grades are really needed. Mainly udps
as new dacs come long…and they do come along rather quickly, obsoleting
the previous tol dac.
I have a couple of sacds that sound amazing through my Oppo 205 feeding
my 2 channel system.
Would I want to go multichannel for the benefit of the full effect…? No.
I have a Chesky test cd where an engineer walks around the room banging a drum following the announcer’s instructions . The engineer’s progress around the room
along the side to back of my listening position and back around again to the front.
Another cd opens with rolling thunder that looms up over my head almost behind me
and finalizes with a strong cracking sound fading away…between the speakers!!
All that with just 2 channels…rather impressive for me anyway.
HT is amazing fun and many enjoy …just not for me …
Hope this helps answer your question.
It works for me. I have had a multi-channel system for years with over 100 SACDs. Getting it “right” took time, but I can also review films with the same system. For 2-channel, I go directly to the preamp via my DirectStream DSD. I have to review speakers as both stereo and multi-channel so potential buyers can decide how they sound either way.
I’m a big fan of surround music, but that’s me…
Surround is a lot of fun…takes a lot of thought as to how to go about setting up and then tuning the room. Tuning the room itself is part of the fun just a lot of $$.
True that a “Home Movie pre-amp” becomes old before you even have got it home from the store but SACDs 5.1 isn’t like that.
My SACD (same Oppo 205 as you have) takes the “analog road” to my Pre-amp, a Primare SP33, and the only thing my Primare pre-amp do is to work as a “volume-knob” and continue to send the analog signal to my 3 power-amps through the XLR-cables.
I have the possibility to use my stereo as a Home-Theater but movies is not anything I care about more than just a “Nice Bonus”.
Two-channel is the priority for me. I have a two-channel pre-amp with HT bypass that allows me to watch a 5.1 movie via an AVR sharing the same two L/R main speakers.
For Two Channel, it’s my DSD Sr. fed into a Balanced MiniDSP (the fake Bose EQ actually has 3 MiniDSP’s inside) and then out to two M700’s. The Sony AVR’s Center is fed to another M700, and the Surrounds fed to two NCORE (Hypex) Amps which are crap for the main channels but work well for the Surrounds. When I listen to ALL two channel media, it goes from the Sony Universal Player/Media Streamer via HDMI to two I2S adapters (one for PCM, the other for SACD/DSD).
I bypassed the AVR’s Volume control and internal Amps by tapping 6 XLR’s Cables off of the top HDMI audio connector/header pins which are labeled GND, +, -, GND, ±…and so on.
For Multichannel, I am stuck with the internal True DSD/PCM DAC’s inside the Sony AVR for SACD/DSD only. Via the DSD Sr.’s Coax (S/PDIF) connection, I get PCM to DSD conversion for the L & R channels, while the Center & Surrounds/Subwoofer are fed from the Sony AVR’s PCM DAC’s. It’s not perfect, but it works. No delay issues either.
From a Video that I am still working on with Thomas & Stereo (spoiler alert)
Me too !
I don’t do movies, so my multichannel setup is strictly for multichannel music. Mutlichannel doesn’t get used often. If I were to do it again, I would stick to focusing on the 2-channel setup. My system is combined where HT/multichannel is accomplished through HT Bypass and an Anthem AVR.
The gear set-up I’m currently working on in our big-rig is an attempt to strike as uncompromising a balance between stereo and multi-channel in a common AV system as is possible. I’ve come to the conclusion that the least sonicly compromising compromise is parallel completely independent source, preamplification, and electronic subwoofer crossover chains. The only parts in common are two of the five identical ATC active loudspeakers, the quad Seaton subwoofer array, and the Xilica PEQ for the subwoofers.
Music & HT Room
